• The article explains how to add space or padding to terminal output, which is the output of commands that run on a terminal emulator, a program that allows you to interact with the shell or command-line interface.
• The article provides two methods for adding padding to different terminal emulators: using a configuration file or using a graphical user interface (GUI). The article gives examples of how to edit the configuration file or use the GUI for some common terminal emulators, such as XTerm, GNOME Terminal, Konsole, Tilix, and Alacritty.
• The article also answers some frequently asked questions related to adding padding to terminal output, such as why some terminal emulators do not have an option to add padding, how to add padding to a terminal emulator that does not have an option to do so, and how to remove padding from a terminal emulator that has too much space around its output.

If you use a Terminal emulator to run commands on your Linux system, you may have noticed that the output of some commands is too close to the window borders, making it hard to read or copy. For example, look at this output of the ls command:

As you can see, the file names are right next to the left and right edges of the terminal window, which is not very pleasing to the eye. Moreover, if you want to select and copy some of the output, you may accidentally include some of the window border characters as well.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could add some space or Padding around the terminal output, so that it looks more like this?

In this article, we will show you how to do that in a few simple steps. We will also answer some frequently asked questions related to this topic.

Step 1: Find out which terminal emulator you are using

The first step is to find out which Terminal Emulator you are using, because different terminal emulators may have different ways of adding padding. A terminal emulator is a program that runs on your graphical desktop environment and allows you to interact with the shell or command-line interface.

To find out which terminal emulator you are using, you can run the following command in your terminal:

echo $TERM

This will print the value of the TERM environment variable, which indicates the type of terminal you are using. For example, if you see xterm, xterm-256color, or xterm-color, it means you are using XTerm, which is a common terminal emulator for X Window System. If you see gnome-terminal, it means you are using GNOME Terminal, which is the default terminal emulator for GNOME desktop environment. If you see konsole, it means you are using Konsole, which is the default terminal emulator for KDE desktop environment.

If you are not sure what the output of the command means, you can also check the name or icon of the terminal emulator in your application menu or launcher.

Step 2: Add padding to your terminal emulator

Once you know which terminal emulator you are using, you can proceed to add padding to it. The method may vary depending on the terminal emulator, but in general, there are two ways to do it: using a configuration file or using a graphical user interface (GUI).

Using a configuration file

Some terminal emulators allow you to add padding by editing a configuration file, usually located in your home directory or a subdirectory of it. For example, XTerm allows you to add padding by editing the .Xresources file in your home directory. GNOME Terminal allows you to add padding by editing the .config/gtk-3.0/gtk.css file in your home directory. Konsole allows you to add padding by editing the .config/konsolerc file in your home directory.

To add padding using a configuration file, follow these steps:

1. Open the configuration file with your preferred text editor, such as nano or vim. For example, to edit the .Xresources file with nano, run the following command:

nano ~/.Xresources

2. Add the appropriate lines to the configuration file that specify the amount of padding you want. The syntax and format may vary depending on the terminal emulator and the configuration file. Here are some examples for different terminal emulators:

• • For XTerm, add these lines:

XTerm*internalBorder: 10
XTerm*rightScrollBar: false

This will add 10 pixels of padding around the terminal output and disable the right scroll bar.

• • For GNOME Terminal, add these lines:

VteTerminal,
TerminalScreen,
vte-terminal {
    padding: 10px 10px 10px 10px;
    -VteTerminal-inner-border: 10px 10px 10px 10px;
}

This will add 10 pixels of padding around the terminal output and inner border.

• • For Konsole, add these lines:

[TerminalDisplay]
LineSpacing=5
Margin=10

This will add 5 pixels of line spacing and 10 pixels of margin around the terminal output.

3. Save and exit the configuration file. If you are using nano, press Ctrl+O to save and Ctrl+X to exit. If you are using vim, press Esc and then type :wq and press Enter.
4. Reload or restart your terminal emulator for the changes to take effect. You may need to run a command or use a keyboard shortcut to reload or restart your terminal emulator. Here are some examples for different terminal emulators:

• • For XTerm, run this command:

xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources

This will merge the changes in the .Xresources file with the X server resource database.

• • For GNOME Terminal, press Ctrl+Shift+Q to quit and then launch it again from the application menu or launcher.
  • For Konsole, press Ctrl+Shift+R to reload the current profile or press Ctrl+Shift+Q to quit and then launch it again from the application menu or launcher.

Using a graphical user interface (GUI)

Some terminal emulators allow you to add padding by using a graphical user interface (GUI), usually accessible from the menu bar or the right-click context menu. For example, Tilix allows you to add padding by using the Preferences dialog, which you can open from the menu bar or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+P. Alacritty allows you to add padding by using the Configuration dialog, which you can open from the right-click context menu.

To add padding using a GUI, follow these steps:

1. Open the preferences or configuration dialog of your terminal emulator from the menu bar or the right-click context menu. The name and location of the dialog may vary depending on the terminal emulator. Here are some examples for different terminal emulators:

• • For Tilix, click on the menu button (the three horizontal lines) in the menu bar and select Preferences. Alternatively, press Ctrl+Alt+P.
  • For Alacritty, right-click anywhere in the terminal window and select Configuration.

2. Find the option or setting that allows you to adjust the padding or margin of your terminal emulator. The name and location of the option or setting may vary depending on the terminal emulator. Here are some examples for different terminal emulators:

• • For Tilix, go to the Appearance tab and find the Terminal Padding section. You can adjust the horizontal and vertical padding by using the sliders or typing the values in pixels.
  • For Alacritty, go to the Window tab and find the Padding section. You can adjust the x and y padding by using the sliders or typing the values in pixels.

3. Apply and save your changes. You may need to click on a button or use a keyboard shortcut to apply and save your changes. The name and location of the button or shortcut may vary depending on the terminal emulator. Here are some examples for different terminal emulators:

• • For Tilix, click on the Apply button at the bottom of the dialog and then click on the Close button to exit.
  • For Alacritty, click on the Save button at the bottom of the dialog and then click on the Close button to exit.

Step 3: Enjoy your padded terminal output

After adding padding to your terminal emulator, you should see some space around your terminal output, making it easier to read and copy. Here is an example of how Tilix looks like after adding some padding:

You can experiment with different amounts of padding until you find your preferred level of comfort and aesthetics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions and answers related to adding space or padding to terminal output.

Q: Why do some terminal emulators not have an option to add padding?

A: Some terminal emulators may not have an option to add padding because they are designed to be minimalistic, lightweight, or compatible with different desktop environments or window managers. Padding may not be a priority feature for these terminal emulators, or it may be delegated to other programs or settings that control the appearance of windows.

Q: How can I add padding to a terminal emulator that does not have an option to do so?

A: If your terminal emulator does not have an option to add padding, you may still be able to do so by using other methods, such as:

• Using a different font that has more spacing between characters or lines.
• Using a different color scheme that has more contrast between the background and foreground colors.
• Using a different window manager or desktop environment that allows you to adjust the window border size or style.
• Using a third-party program or script that modifies the terminal output or window properties.

However, these methods may not work for all terminal emulators or situations, and they may have some drawbacks or limitations. You may need to experiment with different options and combinations until you find a satisfactory solution.

Q: How can I remove padding from a terminal emulator that has too much space around its output?

A: If your terminal emulator has too much space around its output, you may want to remove some padding to make it more compact or efficient. You can do so by reversing the steps described above for adding padding, such as:

• Editing the configuration file of your terminal emulator and reducing or removing the lines that specify padding.
• Opening the preferences or configuration dialog of your terminal emulator and reducing or removing the option or setting that adjusts padding.
• Using a different font that has less spacing between characters or lines.
• Using a different color scheme that has more contrast between the background and foreground colors.

• Using a different window manager or desktop environment that allows you to adjust the window border size or style.
• Using a third-party program or script that modifies the terminal output or window properties.

However, these methods may not work for all terminal emulators or situations, and they may have some drawbacks or limitations. You may need to experiment with different options and combinations until you find a satisfactory solution.

Conclusion

In this article, we learned how to add space or padding to terminal output. We covered the following steps:

• Find out which terminal emulator you are using
• Add padding to your terminal emulator
• Enjoy your padded terminal output

We also answered some frequently asked questions related to this topic.

We hope you found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Disclaimer

The author is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this article. The user should always verify the accuracy and validity of the information before applying it to their system. The user should also backup their system before making any changes. The author is not liable for any damages or losses caused by following this article. Use this article at your own risk.

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